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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. capital — money
  4. current — of water
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rush — hurry
  7. track — a path
  8. current — electric
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — a city
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — happening now
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. file — a document
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. track — a song
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com